The room was bitterly cold- unlike those rooms and corridors further below, frosty air from above flushed down through the entrance tunnel to hug tightly around the warmth of the sleek-coated mare; she had taken some interest in her appearance lately, many mats that had clumped across her dappled canvas had been rubbed away, picked by Silas, or chewed and smoothed if she herself could reach them. Instead of the rough, dull appearance that had clothed the absentminded day-dreamer for many years, a subtle lustre reflected the dim warm-red light cast down from the massive lava wall behind the black, wingless stallion. The cave had taken away her ability to fill her time with travelling, collecting and learning (for the most part anyway; there was still the Wall of History to be considered, the Glowing Room to admire); and Africa had begun the gruesome task of self-analysis- her appearance was by far the easiest obstacle therein.

There was a flutter of air; whirling wing-beats behind her, and the humble mare’s mind was stirred suddenly to life by the troubled reservation of her bonded. He did not welcome the swarthy beast’s presence there and made no effort to mask the truth of his opinion. Violet eyes sparkled defiantly, their shining black pupils pinning with contempt as he scrutinized warily. ‘Him…’ the sound of fury murmured alone, inside his beloved’s chiselled skull, ‘…no good. Leave!’ The low rumble of a warning spilt from his snapping, hooked beak- but like their native tongue was incomprehensible to the mythical avian, it would have been unlikely that the stallion could have read the very angry message being delivered.

Africa shifted uncomfortably, unbalancing her bonded deliberately to draw his concentration closer. "Wait…" she cooed, closing her eyes for a moment to soothe away the acrimony flanking his defensiveness with the white sheets of calm. When they reopened, they were wandering diffidently towards Windwalker as silence hedged quickly between their bridled voices. "He means no harm this time Silas. I want to listen to him." She had not the ability to turn a cold shoulder upon one who needed mercy; needed a heart to hold, and some reason to live, and the Roc new such well. Indignantly he closed the vicious flare of his outreached wing-feathers, glittering stars subdued as his temper was reigned in, and he set his bristled form upon Africa’s rump where he could watch the proceedings closely.

The tremble in his heart; the worry and suspicion were all quite right- the stallion told her that he understood, but to understand and to accept were two entirely different things. She could only wish that if he did truly appreciate the perspective she had offered, acceptance would trail somewhere along behind. Emotion had been proven by each now, to be a vindictive, wicked tool- and it wasn’t so much the physical fear which caused Africa such grief. The one-winged mare was a frail-mined soul, tender-hearted and passive by nature. Conflict was not her forte, it was her weakness; and it was mental trauma which lingered far longer than the scars like that strewn across her shoulder (faded, mended). He had wounded her confidence once.

Appreciating the effort, and nature of care in those words, she nodded with a feeble smile.

The seconds to follow were filled with an awkwardness that had never before existed between them. Africa felt her conscience squirm with guilt; unease, the feeling as alien as the sickness swarming beyond The Sanctuary. Windwalker shuffled from her path- which seemed to be an appropriate conclusion enough, but the words surrounding the necessary gesture forced her pale gaze to find and hold his dark brown eyes. Her time was not so grand that she could not spare a moment to speak, laugh or listen to another- her heart ached at the thought that he should think her so ostentatious; so self-important, that she might not want to give to him as long as he needed. "Will you walk with me?" She asked quickly, knowing full well that he was probably tired already from that journey he had just returned from; but desperate all the while to fill any need he had for company- for her companionship.